An idea that stemmed from a fishing trip with friends has now turned into a lasting legacy for Allen Mobley’s family.
In the summer of 2005, Allen took a fishing trip to Mexico with friends.
“They got in a conversation about my dad having his own company dealing with cigars,” Allen’s son, Cody Mobley, said. “It was a joke. They were drinking bourbon and smoking cigars.”
When he came back, he told his wife, Carol, “we’re going to start a cigar company, so he started learning.”
That was the beginning of Kentucky Gentlemen Cigars, located at 313 St. Clair St.
Allen and his family were living in Riverside, California, at the time. Allen was in real estate and remodeled houses. When the housing market started to plummet, he decided to move his family back to his home state — Kentucky. Allen grew up in Harrodsburg. He moved his family to Danville in 2005. Allen and Carol had Cody and his twin sister, Setera (Sparkman).
Allen grew up growing tobacco with his family and selling it at auction. With the majority of tobacco grown in Kentucky being used for cigarettes, he had a lot to learn about growing tobacco for cigars.
“He learned how to roll cigars in Austin, Texas, at a place called Bobalu (Cigar Company),” Cody said.
He came back to Kentucky, and continued to practice rolling. When making cigars, the tobacco is rolled in thin strips of tobacco leaves.
“He handed it to me,” Carol said. “They were all pretty, but they all tasted the same.”
To learn more about cigar making, Allen and Carol traveled to the Dominican Republic where they learned more about cigar binding and filling.
“Our first bands were designed there,” Carol said. “They designed it on the street and printed them in a garage — 10,000 bands were created in two hours.”
Allen decided that he wanted different flavor profiles in his cigars, so a couple of years later he went back to the Dominican — this time he took Cody with him.
“We learned from a family,” Cody said. “The father’s name was Papo. We learned from him and his wife and two kids. They taught us how to roll and they taught us the growing and blending process. We spent a month with the family.”
Cody said his dad bought seeds from Cuba and grew it on their farm in Lawrenceburg behind their horse barn.
In 2008, Allen had the idea to age tobacco in bourbon barrels “as a way to naturally age an already flavorful tobacco with a Kentucky twist,” Cody said.
“He brought that idea to Buffalo Trace Distillery and asked if they wanted to have barrel aged tobacco. From that point on, we made Buffalo Trace cigars from 2008-2018, but we’re still making Blanton cigars. We also do Four Roses, Angel’s Envy, Castle and Key and more.”
Cody said the binder and filler tobacco is aged in a bourbon barrel for at least six months to a year before the cigars are made. Some tobacco has been aging for 20 years.
“Even in our regular blended cigars, the tobacco is five years old before it’s got a blend on it,” Cody said. “But, once you get pass a year, you can lose some of those profiles.”
Cody said the tobacco doesn’t touch the bourbon. The only moisture it has to pull from is moisture in the barrel staves, so it stays fresh and doesn’t dry out.
The Mobleys have small-scale farms in Richmond, Bowling Green, Hodginsville and Mercer County. They also get tobacco from the Dominican, Honduras, Nicaragua and other countries. The barrel aging process is done in-house and in barns in different counties.
(Photo submitted)
“Me and my mom and sister check barrels to do quality control,” Cody said. “It’s done in quarters.”
Since they were children, Cody and Setera have been hands on with the company. Every weekend was spent with their mother and father at different trade shows and events marketing the family business. Cody was 7 years old when he took the trip to the Dominican with his father.
As teens, they often missed school to attend trade shows. Carol said they were good students and always had good grades, so she wasn’t concerned with them missing school.
“He learned so much more being out with his father than being in the classroom,” Carol said. “It taught them the concept of making their own money. We gave them money at the end of the weekend.”
Setera recalled packing their van up on the weekends and driving up to Cincinnati.
“It was the normal thing for us,” she said. “We were go-with-the-flow type of kids.”
Carol said when the kids were teenagers, Allen started to get sick, and she and the kids had to take on more responsibilities of the company.
In 2020, Allen passed away. All though they were missing their rock, Carol, Cody and Setera have continued to move the company forward in a manner of which they know Allen would be proud.
“He wanted to create something that if something happened to him, me and the kids can go on and continue,” Carol said. “We are fulfilling his dream by continuing the company. He would be proud everyday to see us continuing and being just as creative as he was.”
Cody has taken on being the face of the company. Cody takes cigars to events and shows and other marketing ventures. Carol and Setera take care of the behind-the-scenes work.
“My mom and sister, they’re the reason I have to sell what I sell,” Cody said. “Setera does the artistic design behind the company. Mom is the mastermind behind it all. She makes sure all ducks are in a row with distillers, keeping them happy, making sure orders are shipped out — she’s logistics. She does the manager side of it. She does production side as well.”
Carol’s mother, Gina Patrick, also helps with the company by banding cigars and packaging.
“Whatever (Carol) wants done, I do,” Gina said.
Setera designs the bindings for the cigars.
“It’s an art to roll a cigar,” she said.
Setera often uses a two-toned wrapper, which adds different flavor profiles, she said. Her favorite cigar wrapper and packaging that she’s created is their Four Roses Distillery cigars. She made little roses out of tobacco that are in the bottom of the cigar tube.
“People go crazy over it,” Carol said. “Our cigars are the second most sold product at Four Roses,” Carol said, just under the bourbon.
Carol said through genetics, Cody and Setera inherited Allen’s talent.
“Cody got his gift of gab,” she said. “He’s out on the road all of the time. He goes to festivals and events.”
She said Setera inherited his creativity and attentiveness to detail.
“I do the packaging,” Carol said. “I see the final product. When Setera does (the rolling and binding) I don’t have to look at it. I know it’s been done right. Some of my cigars wouldn’t pass her inspection. When other people help us, they don’t pass Setera’s inspection.”
Cody said there are about 30 different cigars in their humidor, and they are looking to add about 20 additional varieties over the summer and fall, including a ladies line of cigars created by Carol and Setera.
Some of their top selling cigars include the Kentucky Cuban, Blanton’s cigar and the Triple Threat, which starts mild, then goes medium and ends full bodied, Cody said.
The Blanton’s cigar is a mild body smoke. The notes are creamy with a hint of spice.
When creating new blends, Cody and Setera blend the tobacco, roll the cigars and then have their regular customers try them and give them their honest opinion.
When smoking cigars, Cody says, “don’t inhale. Sometimes, the experience is more affected by what you drink with it. You can drink coffee while smoking. It can also be affected by what you ate. Don’t smoke on an empty stomach.
“If you’re going to buy a cigar, take the full time to smoke it. Don’t smoke half. Take the time to smoke it.”
A couple of years ago, the Mobley’s obtained a liquor license for 313 St. Clair St. and now operated the Cap City Cigar Bar out of the location as well.
“He (Allen) always wanted to have the bar lounge,” Cody said. “He would be thrilled to have the atmosphere and experience what we have now. He would say I need to change the music in here. He would tell me to play old country music like Hank Williams.
“The cigar bar gives the customers an experience — to hang out, enjoy cigar, watch a game or play pool. Anyone can walk in here. It’s not membership based.”
They currently have 10 distilleries that they make cigars for and are always looking for more to add to their list. They recently made a tequila cigar for Angel’s Envy Bourbon. They’re also looking into making rum and wine cigars.
“We’re for people looking for something different than run-of-the-mill cigars,” Carol said.
Her favorite cigar that they make is a bourbon crème cigar, which is dipped in bourbon crème.
“Dad’s thing was to break outside of the mold of a typical cigar business,” Setera said.
And, that’s exactly what she, Cody and Carol have continued to do since Allen’s passing.
“I know he would be very proud of everything,” Carol said.
(Photo submitted)
